Resilient retiform-fabric support surfaces



June 23, 1959 J. E. LIL IENFELD- 2,891,603

RESILIENT RETIFORM-FABRIC SUPPORT SURFACES Filed March 1, 1957 I 4Sheets-Sheet 1- I Z INVENTOR. .9 :g I Milli/t/V/ELD -Z arra/m fy J. E.LILIENFELD 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 23, 1959 RESILIENT RETIFORM-FABRICSUPPORT sum-moss Filed March 1, 1957 mm m IE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

A Tram f) J n 3, 19.59 J. E. LlLlEN FELD RESILIENT RETIFORM-FABRICSUPPORT SURFACES Fil'ed March 1, 1957 l June 23, 1959 RESILIENTRETIFORM-FABRIC SU Filed March 1, 1957 n", 'IIIIIIIIIIA 'IIIII'Il J. E.LlLlENFELD PPORT SURFACES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. l/z/ewflim v a;modification.

United States Patent 1 RESILIENT RETIFORM-FABRIC SUPPORT SURFACES JuliusEdgar Lilienfeld, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Application March 1, 1957,Serial No. 643,410

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-187) The invention relates to the combination offabrics of the retiform type with frames and the like to form supportingsurfaces of a resilient nature adapted to the shape of the load to besupported. More particularly, it is concerned with the application ofsuch fabrics to the upholstery of furniture frames, although it is to beunderstood that the invention is not restricted to the art ofupholstery.

The invention has for an object to adapt to the aforesaid purposes theinherent property of a retiform fabricthe mesh pattern of which is madeof substantially inextensible filaments-to become distorted under stressand thus to conform to the shape of the load.

A further object of the invention is to make use of a retiform fabric ofsuch mesh pattern as would possess the highest attainable degree of theaforesaid conformability.

Another object of the invention is to provide frames such as will, inupholstering, adapt the surface of the fabric to conform to the shape ofthe load and thus afford adequate resilient support for the latter.

In carrying out the invention, a retiform fabric of substantiallyinextensible filaments is attached firmly to a rigid frame along itslateral members and with an adequate amount of slack. If desired, thismay be done by attaching the frame to a sub-frame which is then securelyfixed tothe aforesaid frame.

In order to take up the aforementioned initial slack of the fabric,tensingmeans are introduced across it and fixed to the lateral members.The area between the tensing members and the frame becomes thus theactive area for resilient support.

-The'natnre of the invention, however, will best be understood whendescribed in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. lisa fragmentary detail view, in plan, of a suitable pattern of thefabric to be utilized; and Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating amodification.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a cot, as one embodiment to which the inventionis applicable, and with portions of the fabric broken away-the fabricbeing shown in the condition before tension has been applied thereto.

Fig. 4 is arrenlarged, fragmentary plan view illustrating theinterlacing of a tensing means with the fabric.

Fig. 5 is alongitudinal section through the cot, taken on the line 5-5,Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows-with fabric omitted; andFigs. 6 and 7 similarly illustrate modifications.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line8-8, Fig. 3, and looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 9 is asimilar viewillustrating f Fig. 10 is aside elevation of a chairassembly embodying the'invention; and Figs. 11, 12 and 13 arerespectively a front elevation, a rear elevation and a plan Fig. 14'is alongitudinal section through the chair, on

2 an enlarged scale; and Fig. 15 is a transverse section taken on theline 15-15, Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary elevation of the back portion of a chair andillustrates a modification in the framing construction and retention ofthe fabric thereby; and Fig. 17 is an enlarged fragmentary view thereof,with parts broken away and the framing members detached from each other.

Figs. 18 and 19 are transverse sections, the former taken on the line18-18, Fig. 17, and looking in the direction of the arrows, and thelatter view showing the members assembled. v 1

The retiform fabric used in-carrying'out the invention is made up ofinsignificantly extensible filaments; and by the term retiform is to beunderstood a fabric of which the pattern is designed as repetitions of amesh which is knitted, knotted, etc., in such a manner that thefilaments thereof do not slip at their intersections. 'Thus, as isindicated in Figs. 1 and 2, which show two different mesh patterns, thepattern 20, Fig. l, is shown as being composed of hexagons 21; and thepattern 22, Fig. 2, as com posed of alternating rh'omboids 23 andrhombuses 24. The common features of these patterns is their formationby more than two vectors. Patterns of this type are to be preferred topatterns formed by two vectors only, such as those of the conventionalfish-net type.

At either cross-border of the aforesaid active area--or at bothcross-bordersflexible tensing means are introduced to stress the fabricover its active area, the initial length dimension of which will then bea minimum along the axis intermediate the lateral members.Correspondingly, when tension is applied, the elongation of the activeportion of the fabric becomes maximal along said axis and tends to zerovalue along the lateral members.

A convenient way to stress thefabric in the aforesaid manner is tointerlace arcuately-the convexity of the are being toward the activeareawith the mesh a flexible member and to fix it thereupon undertension to the frame, thereby reducing its curvature.

The filament material constituting the fabric is to be so chosen as notto be affected significantly by ambient humidity conditions and/ortemperature conditions, and must as well possess insignificantextensibility and also rapid recovery upon removal of the applied load.Numerous metal filaments, i.e., wires, stranded wires, etc., satisfysuch requirements.

I have found that these conditions are generally not satisfied by thevegetable type of fibers, but that some synthetic fibers are acceptable,for example, those of nylon, Dacron, Orlon, etc.

The fact that resilient performance is obtained with a substantiallyinextensible, inelastic filament is of practical importance not onlybecause such filaments are by far the most stable ones in allrespectsbut, just as important, because in the absence of significantelongation of the filament, the response of the fabric to the stressingis strictly defined and may be so adjusted as to support the load inproper shape. It may be added that this resilient performance of afabric made of inextensible filaments is a consequence of the indicatedstrict definition of its response to the size and shape of the load. Ifthe latter changes, the configuration of the fabric changes;andthetransition from configuration to configuration is accompanied by achange of the energy level of the total assembly, which fact involves aresilient performance. If so desired, the resiliency of the assembly maybe arbitrarily increased by endowing the tensioning element withadequate elastic performance, e.g., by using a springin series with it,or by making said element itself of an elastic braid or cord, etc. Thiswill adjust the performance of the assembly to a desired degree, whilenot altering it in kind.

In the particular embodiment of the invention for the upholstering of arigid frame, such as the cot frame shown in Fig. 3 and over which isprovided the fabric 26, the said fabric is attached to the respectivesides 27, 28 of the frame with an adequate amount of slack. in order toestablish the desired stress, inelastic wires 31 are to be arcnatelyinterlaced with the meshes of the fabric (as is more clearly shown inFig. 4) at the cross-borders of the active area. The said wires are thenconnected under tension to the lateral members 27, 28 (by reducing theconvexity of the are as is indicated by the dotted line position, Fig.4), first passing through direction-changing guides 32, 33 secured tothe cot frame 25, as shown.

The tension to be applied to the wires may then be afforded through theoperation of an intermediate turnbuckle 34, in which case the oppositeends of the turnbuckle are attached respectively to the correspondingends of said wires. Or, the tension may be established once for all inassembly by means other than turnbuckles, in which case, however, noadjustment is available to the user. The desired degree of tension maythus be applied to the fabric through its mutual reaction with thetensing wires.

Or inelastic wires 35, 36, reference being had to Fig. 6 of thedrawings, may be associated with a resilient member or members such as aspring or springs 37, 38 which are connected to a turnbuckle 39 fordetermining the tension, said wires being interlaced with the fabric(not shown) as in the previously described embodiment, and passingthrough the guides 40, 41, respectively, attached to the lateral member42. If desired, such springs may be retained within a correspondingtubular directionchanging guide as the guide 43, Fig. 9, bearing againstthe inner end thereof. A tensing wire 44 then passes axially through thespring and through a plate 45 which engages the outer end of the spring,a clamp 46 being provided about the wire to connect the latteroperatively to its spring and maintain the predetermined tensionthereof.

However, resilience may be associated with the tensing members by makingthem inherently elastic, for example, said members may be of the natureof the elastic cord set forth in my US. Letters Patent No. 2,700,317.Thus, reference being had to Fig. 7, cords 50, 51 of this nature areinterlaced arcnately with the fabric (not shown), whereupon the saidcords are more or less stretched to reduce the curvature to the desireddegree in selecting the stress applied, and the ends 52, 53 hookedtogether,

their respective other ends having previously been fixed to oppositelateral members of the frame (not shown).

The application of the novel upholstery arrangement to a chair isillustrated in Figs. 10 to 15 of the drawings, wherein there isdisclosed, also, the manner of conforming the active surface to theshape of the load for securing maximum comfort and support of the spinein sitting or reclining. This is effected by making the active surfaceadjustable to the load, so that convexities and concavities appeartherein wherever such are required.

Thus, by proper shaping of the lateral members in curving them concavelywhere a convexity in the surface (pillow effect) is required andconvexly where a concave supporting surface is called for, thesupporting load or active surface may be suitably accommodated. Forexample, the lateral members 60, 61 of the chair have a predeterminedcurvature, as shown, and are rigidly fixed to the supporting baseportion 62 in the conventional manner. The upholstery fabric, indicatedat 63, is supported by said lateral frame members; and, in accordancewith the invention, the fabric-which is of the specific typehereinbefore set forthis first fixed along its edges to said lateralmembers, with an adequate amount of transversal slack, to follow thepredetermined curvature thereof. Then flexible stressing members 64 65are interlaced with the fabric 63 in the manner aforesaid and tensioned,

for example, by adjustment of an interposed turnbuckle 66 to reduce theinitial curvature of the arc of said stressing members to an extentsu-ificient to afford the desired effects, tensing the originally slackfabric to a degree for proper support. It is to be noted that the fabricthus tensed will form itself according to a concave surface incorrespondence with a convex portion of the lateral members; andconversely, said surface will be convex where the curvature of saidmembers is concave.

By thus choosing the inversion points, as the points 67, tit? along therespective lateral members, and the radii of the curvatures for suchmembers, the active surface of the chair presents portions 69, 70concavely and convexly conforming to the specific features of the load.

Particularly in the case of chairs and in order to conform to theanatomy of the human body, it is important that the radius of curvatureof the lateral members should not exceed seven inches at the transitionarea of backrest to seat of the chair.

The fabric may continue beyond the active area, specifically beyond thestressing members, as in the case of the portion 71, in which it isslack in these areas; and the manner of integrating the slack portionswith the frame is merely a question of appearance.

A convenient arrangement for securing the aforesaid desirablecurvatures, as well as to effect ready attachment of the fabric, is toprovide a suitably shaped sub-frame unit for said fabric and withinwhich it is tensed. As is shown in Figs. 16 and 17, the sub-frame isconstructed of a rod or tube 75, of metal or other substantial materialsuch as wood or plastic, the tube being shaped to follow the lines ofthe chair structure 76; To attach the fabric 77 to said sub-frame, it isnecessary merely to thread a pair of such lateral members 75 through thecorresponding edge meshes of the fabric 77, as is indicated in Fig. 17.The unit is then inserted into a longitudinal recess or groove 78 of thechair frame 79 which may be of tubular or solid material, in the formercase having its wall rolled in, as indicated, to accommodate thesubframe. After the sub-frame has been assembled with its chair frame,it is fixed thereto through a reduction of the recess, for example, byrolling over the edges 80 of the recess or groove, Fig. 19.

I claim:

1. In combination: a rigid frame having side and crossmembers; a lengthof retiform fabric, of substantially inextensible filaments, fixed onlyalong its sides to the corresponding sides of the frame; and flexiblestressing means located across and secured at the respective ends of theframe to the sides thereof, said stressing means engaging transverselythe corresponding ends of the fabric to establish an over-all distortionof the mesh pattern of the fabric over the area located between the saidstressing means when tension is applied to said means.

2, The combination according to claim 1, wherein the mesh pattern of thefabric is formed with. more than two vectors.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the stressing means isinterlaced with the mesh of the fabric.

4. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the stressing meanscomprises a flexible, axially-displaced, arcuate member, the convexityof the arc thereof being directed toward the active area of the fabric.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS605,680 Ryan r.... June 14, 1898 1,131,147 Mackin Mar. 9, 1915 2,659,956Lilienfeld NOV. 24, 1953 2,659,957 Lilienfeld NOV. 24, 1953 2,700,317Lilienfeld Jan. 25, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 3 4 2 t I .e .-a=a- -@=eee.-e.2 1.935

